Informationen zu "Vojta Kuchynka Ed: David Heyes Slavonic Rhapsody Double Bass & Piano"
Verlag: Recital Music
Verlagsnummer: RM549
EAN: 9790570455492
ISMN: M-57045-549-2
Beschreibung
The name of Vojta Kuchynka would have long ago been consigned to the history
books without the advocacy and promotion of his music by the great Franti?ek
Po?ta (1919-1991). He recorded Canzonetta and Desire, also performing both
works in many national and international recitals, and every two years played
a recital of Kuchynka's music, amongst other Czech repertoire, in Kuchynka's
home town of Nové Stra?ecí. Kuchynka is part of the rich heritage of Czech
double bassists who performed as soloists and composed many works for the
double bass but, on the whole is almost forgotten today and unjustly so.
Vojt?ch (Vojta) Kuchynka was born in the Czech town of Nové Stra?ecí on 7 May
1871. He studied double bass at the Prague Conservatoire with Vendelin Sladek
(1851-1901) from 1885-91, and composition with Antonín Dvo?ák from 1891-93.
He was accepted into Professor Sladek's class at the age of fourteen and, on
his teacher's advice, remained as a student for an extra year to extend his
concert and solo repertoire. In 1895 he was appointed 1st Double Bass and
Soloist in the Orchestra of the Czechoslovak Folk Art Exhibition Orchestra,
conducted by Karel Kova?ovic (1862-1920), with whom he gave four performances
of his own Elegy. At this time he also conducted a number of choirs in the
Czech capital including Obchodnická Beseda and Halek choirs, and for a short
time was the piano teacher of the family of Count Fürstenberg. Between 1899
and 1933 Kuchynka played in the National Theatre Orchestra in Prague,
becoming Principal Bass after the death of Jan Komers, and from time to time
worked with the famous Czech Quartet. Vojta Kuchynka gave solo recitals
until the day of his retirement when he celebrated his 600th recital, and was
known as 'the Kubelík of the Double Bass', after the leading Czech violinist
of the day Jan Kubelík (1880-1940). He was praised for his perfect technique,
impressive harmonic work, interpretation and tasteful transcriptions of
classical works. Most of his recitals were in Bohemia or Moravia and one
concert in Prague, reviewed in The Strad by Miss Windust, stated 'Alongside
the brilliant performances of Franti?ek Ond?í?ek and Karel Hoffmann it was
the admirable virtuosity of Vojta Kuchynka that made the deepest impression
on me.' He made the first Czech double bass recording for Parlophon, and
Prague Radio broadcast recitals of his music to celebrate his 65th and 70th
birthdays. Vojta's younger brother Franti?ek (1879-1971) was also a double
bassist, initially taught by his brother, before also studying at the Prague
Conservatoire with Vendelin Sladek. He played alongside Vojta at the 1st desk
of the National Theatre Orchestra in Prague and Karel Kova?ovic, the
conductor, nicknamed them 'Chrudos and Stahlav', famous quarrellers in an old
Bohemian legend and both characters were included in Smetana's opera Libu?e,
which was often performed at the National Theatre. In 1906 Franti?ek
emigrated to America changing his name to Frank, and subsequently became 1st
Bass of the New York Symphony Orchestra, Principal Bass of the Minneapolis
Symphony, a member of the San Francisco Symphony and ultimately a member of
the MGM studio orchestra in Hollywood. On his 90th birthday Frank Kuchynka
received a letter of congratulation as a 'bass viol virtuoso' from President
Richard Nixon. Both brothers were successful musicians in their own right,
Vojta in his native Czech Republic and Frank in America. Vojta Kuchynka died
on 1 August 1942 in Tábor, Czech Republic and in 1971, on the centenary of
his birth and at the instigation of the Czech virtuoso Franti?ek Po?ta, a
memorial plaque was unveiled at his birthplace in Nové Stra?ecí. As a
composer Kuchynka wrote more than 140 works, from chamber and orchestral
music to songs, choruses and much chamber music. His works for double bass
display the technical possibilities of the solo double bass, alongside the
emotional and lyrical potential, and the influence of Dvo?ák and Czech folk
music is evident in most of his music. Kuchynka's Rapsodie for double bass
and piano was completed in Prague on 23 February 1931, at a time when, apart
from bassists, few composers were writing for the instrument. The front page
and the double bass part of the manuscript call the piece a 'Rapsodie' but
the piano part describes it as 'Slovanská Rapsodie' - effectively a Slavonic
Rhapsody for double bass. The two titles were written by the composer so it
is difficult to know which he actually wanted, but a Slavonic Rhapsody for
double bass and piano sounds more descriptive and exciting. Kuchynka writes
in a traditional idiom, obviously influenced by his composition teacher,
Antonín Dvo?ák and the style of the day, producing a work which could easily
have been composed during the final decade of the 19th-century. The piece is
in one extended movement, lasting around nine minutes according to a
pencilled marking on the double bass part, and Kuchynka was obviously a very
fine bassist with an expert knowledge and technique across the entire range
of the instrument. The Rapsodie contrasts passages of great virtuosity with
lyrical melodies which emphasise the sonorous and cantabile qualities of the
double bass, but also display its great technical potential. Much as Dvo?ák
exploited a whole range of styles and emotions in his two sets of Slavonic
Dances, so does Kuchynka but here encapsulated into one piece lasting nine
minutes. Rapsodie is ideal for any advanced player and employs passages of
speed and virtuosity, double stops, harmonics and extremes of register,
alongside melodies and lyrical episodes which test every aspects of the
bassists technique, and readily takes its place amongst the great array of
repertoire by the leading Czech bassist-composers of the late 19th and early
20th-century such as Franti?ek Simandl, Gustav Láska, Franti?ek ?erně, Rudolf
Tulá?ek and Adolf Mí?ek. The music is well written for the double bass,
exploring much of the solo register with the obligatory use of scales and
arpeggios, harmonics and double stops, and has been unknown and unpublished
for almost 85 years. Composed in solo tuning and with a piano accompaniment
which is both supportive and independent, Kuchynka's Slovanská Rapsodie is a
great addition to the repertoire, at a time when more bassists are becoming
interested in the rich heritage of the instrument. The younger generation are
able to access the repertoire of the past 150 years much easily than at any
time before and a work like this has much to commend it bassists and
audiences alike. It follows the Central European tradition rather than the
music of Bottesini, but Kuchynka successfully melds both styles to create a
work of character, invention and great virtuosity. The name of Vojta Kuchynka
is known in double bass circles, although the ABRSM (Associated Board of the
Royal Schools of Music) have included his Canzonetta for viola and piano on
its Grade 4 syllabus for viola, and his name is now extending to a different
audience, which can only be a good thing and hopefully a substantial work
like the Slovanská Rapsodie can introduce the music and name of this Czech
bassist-composer to new generations. David Heyes [16 October 2015]
